A US HIGH SCHOOL basketball star is expected to be brought out of a medically-induced coma today after surviving a second plane crash which claimed the lives of his parents.
Austin Hatch, 16, from Indiana, suffered brain swelling when the light plane in which he was travelling crashed into a garage, NineMSN reports. His father, who was flying the aircraft, and his stepmother were killed.
This is the second deadly crash the teenager has survived. In 2003, Hatch was on board the plane which crashed and killed his mother, sister and brother. His father was also the pilot on that occasion.
The teenager was recently offered a basketball scholarship by the University of Michigan.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that a relative of Hatch said that doctors will begin taking him off the coma-inducing medication and they are “very positive and hopeful” of his recovery.
Dr G David Bojrab, a business partner of the teen’s father, said he had moved all four limbs when the drugs were reduced and there doesn’t appear to be any structural damage to his brain.
The US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and a preliminary report will be published within ten days. A final report is expected within 18 months.
- Additional reporting by the AP
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